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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22997314">and it's a wave breaking at dawn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sockablock/pseuds/sockablock'>sockablock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-adjacent, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Spoilers for C2E97, Veth drinks 'I love my family' juice, Yeza drinks Respect Women Juice, i love these two so much god, post-transformation conversations</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:07:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,287</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22997314</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sockablock/pseuds/sockablock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He laughs. “Right, right. Of course. Gods,” and he leans back, “I still can’t believe it, sometimes. My wife, I mean…you’re really a mercenary.”</p><p>She casts a sideways glance to his outline.</p><p>“Does…that bother you?” </p><p>Yeza hums faintly. There’s a little patch on his arm, where he burned the hair off once by accident and it grew back lighter.</p><p>“I…I mean…no,” he says after some thought. “Not really, no. Being a mercenary makes you happy, right?”</p><p> </p><p>(or: post-episode 97, Nott and Yeza talk)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Veth Brenatto/Yeza Brenatto, Yeza Brenatto/Nott</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>177</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and it's a wave breaking at dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She leans into the pillow, swathed in rosy, re-found glow, drinking in the corners where the sun slips in the room. Lush, heavy curtains hang securely before the window, but every now and again the breeze lingers, shifts the drapes.</p><p>Pulled back, they put all of Nicodranas on display—a sprawling, thriving coastal metropolis far, far away from the barley fields of Felderwin.</p><p>In a way, she still feels like a stranger here. In a way, she’s never felt more at home.</p><p>The alchemical workshop spilling across the dresser, tripping over the floor and commanding the carpet, does help. Perhaps it is because this sight is so familiar that her gaze lingers long enough<em> just</em> to be noticed.</p><p>“Oh, gods, sorry,” Yeza says quickly, “if I’d known you were coming back, I—I’d meant to tidy up—”</p><p>“Is that…<em>sphagnum</em> moss? And formic acid? At the <em>coast</em>?”</p><p>Even still, even now, she can hear his instant smile.</p><p>“I had to ask <em>six </em>apothecaries,” he agrees. “And the last one only gave me the dry kind.”</p><p>“And the acid?”</p><p>He sighs. “Luc found ants in the cellar. I thought it was a waste not to…you know…”</p><p>“Right. Well, that’s very resourceful of you.”</p><p>She turns back around in time to catch Yeza chuckle.</p><p>“I thought so too. I did feel a bit bad, though. And I know, I know, it’s silly, <em>you </em>kill stuff all the time—”</p><p>“In self-defense! And never <em>insects.</em> Except giant ones.”</p><p>He laughs. “Right, right. Of course. Gods,” and he leans back, “I <em>still </em>can’t believe it, sometimes. My <em>wife</em>, I mean<em>…</em>you’re <em>really </em>a mercenary.”</p><p>She casts a sideways glance to his outline.</p><p>“Does…that <em>bother </em>you?” </p><p>Yeza hums faintly. There’s a little patch on his arm from where he burned the hair off once by accident, and it grew back lighter.</p><p>“I…I mean…no,” he says after some thought. “Not really, no. Being a mercenary makes <em>you </em>happy, right?”</p><p>“Right,” she echoes softly. “Though, ah…mercenary isn’t <em>really </em>the word.”</p><p>“Sure, sure. But if <em>you’re </em>certain, that’s all that matters.”</p><p>She sits up higher when he says that. “But are…<em>you </em>certain, though?” she asks. “I mean…<em>really </em>certain? I…I’ve been thinking, and…you know, there was a moment where even <em>I </em>wasn’t sure I wanted to be a halfling again, so all of this, I mean, everything, it…if <em>you </em>aren’t <em>sure</em>…”</p><p>She can feel him shifting on the mattress. Her gaze falls.</p><p>“…what do you mean by that, Veth? What does…what do you mean?”</p><p>And exhale.</p><p>“I mean…oh, gods, I…I don’t know. I…<em>still </em>don’t <em>really </em>know. I…I’m back now, in this body<em>—”</em></p><p>“Oh, I <em>know—</em>”</p><p>She rolls her eyes, though catches the sudden levity. “Stop on, stop it, come on. I’m trying to be serious.”</p><p>Yeza nods dutifully, immediately, “Serious, alright.” He makes a <em>go on </em>motion with his hands.</p><p>She huffs a little, not without amusement. Then her expression hardens a bit.</p><p>“Well. It's...you know. It's just that...a long time ago, I really <em>was</em> just a halfling girl. And then I was a woman, and a mother, and a wife, and I was happy, and I was loved, and…that, for a <em>long </em>time, was all I knew.”</p><p>She turns towards Yeza in the dark.</p><p>“And then…I lost <em>all </em>of that. And I found myself somewhere else…somewhere <em>terrible</em>. In a body that I hated, and in place where I was…not.”</p><p>Her eyes trace his chin. His cheeks, his curly hair. Once upon a time, she could’ve seen more. Now his inquisitive gaze is a shadow.</p><p>“But…someone found me, <em>I </em>found someone. A lot of someones. A whole group and all of a sudden, I had something again. I wasn’t…anywhere <em>near </em>a housewife anymore, but I had a role to play in a family that I’d made. That…I was happy with, and that I loved.”</p><p>She reaches out and blindly, in the dark, finds Yeza’s hand.</p><p>“I <em>love </em>you,” she murmurs. “I always have. I never stopped. But these people…my friends, the Mighty Nein…they’re <em>important </em>to me. I…I don’t feel like I can leave them. Not yet. And at the same time, I…I don’t want to leave you, either. Or Luc. I’ve…I’ve <em>missed </em>so much already, he was only a toddler when I left, and now, I mean…now, he’s running around, he’s so <em>big…”</em></p><p>She squeezes his palm, a little half-hearted.</p><p>“What kind of mother does that make me?” she whispers. “What kind of…<em>person </em>does that make me? Am I terri—?”</p><p>“No<em>.</em>”</p><p>She blinks, a little startled. “W—”</p><p>“<em>No</em>,” Yeza repeats, more firmly this time. “No, I…no, Veth. I don’t think you are. I never would think you are.”</p><p>“But that’s because you’re <em>you</em>,” she sighs. “You’re a very sweet man. You’ve always been so <em>kind—</em>”</p><p>“Then objectively speaking,” Yeza insists. “Scientifically. The evidence, to me, looks like this.”</p><p>He stares at her, and despite the lack of light, his eyes shine with all the midday sun.</p><p>“Three years ago, you sacrificed yourself to save me and our son. You went through awful, horrible, <em>terrible </em>things, and never once did you forget us, or abandon us. You fought your way across a <em>continent </em>to come and save me. You dealt with the—the <em>Krynn</em>, to come and get me! You broke a hag’s curse and <em>invented new magic </em>just so you could be here, with me, now.”</p><p>He squeezes her hand back. He doesn’t let go.</p><p>“I <em>love </em>you, Veth. And I know you love me too. And I think…I think…loving someone…doesn’t always mean you have to <em>always </em>be at their side. But for me…it’s always been believing that you’d be back. And for you…I mean…you’ve never proved me wrong, right?”</p><p>He scoots closer. He has freckles, she remembers. So many freckles, like a pebbly riverbed.</p><p>“Right,” she murmurs. “That’s right.”</p><p>“And you aren’t ever <em>going </em>to prove me wrong, right?”</p><p>She leans in too, and their foreheads touch.</p><p>“I broke Jester’s mother’s bathtub earlier today. I don’t think it gets more sincere than that.”</p><p>Yeza breathes a laugh that’s as warm as she remembers. “Then that’s all I need,” he nods. “I think…Luc too. It might take a bit of explaining, but…like you always said. He’s a smart boy. And he knows that his mother loves him. You just have to promise to visit often, okay?”</p><p>She grins, and it’s a wave breaking at dawn. Relief is a gentle, ebbing, crystal-blue thing. It sinks into the sand. Outside, the seagulls call.</p><p>“Okay. Okay. I think I can make that work.”</p><p>“You think?”</p><p>She rolls her eyes again, and nudges him. “I promise. No matter what. You hold me to that, okay? You married me, so tie me down.”</p><p>Yeza snorts. “I didn’t marry you to tie you down,” he says. “I married you because I love you. And I want you to be happy.”</p><p>She exhales, in half-stubbornness, half-delight. “Yeah, well, I love you too. And I also want you to be happy, so I’ll come back, and I’ll come back, and I’ll always come back until you’ve grown sick of me and you never want to see me again.”</p><p>Their faces are but an inch apart.</p><p>“That’ll never happen.”</p><p>“Is that a challenge?”</p><p>Yeza chuckles. “Do your worst, Veth Brenatto. Go out there and show the world how amazing you are. I’ll be waiting to hear all about it.”</p><p>When they pull away again, her hand on his cheek, running her thumb along the edge of his grin—”</p><p>“Veth Brenatto,” she agrees. “Veth Brenatto…the Brave.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeza and Veth really deserve everything and I thought this might be a sweet conversation.</p><p>In all seriousness, it's been quite a while since I've posted anything on here!! I apologize for that, dear readers, but between school and work and running a d&amp;d campaign, shit has gotten crazy! Still, I promise to start slowly putting some of my tumblr work up on here, and finally finishing some old ideas I've had.</p><p>Thank you so so much for reading in the meantime, though, and I've missed you all a ton ;)</p><p>&lt;33333333333333</p></blockquote></div></div>
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